Volume 54 Issue 6 by The Crow's Nest

FROM BASEBALL TO BULLS? NEWS, page 3

DISABILITY ACCOUNTABILITY OPINIONS, page 6

ABBA-YABBA-DO FEATURES, page 8

As the debate between the Tampa Bay Rays and the City of St. Petersburg continues, conceptual plans have been released to include a 22-acre research and development campus that USF has set its sights on.

A recent opinion article prompted an assistant journalism professor at USF St. Petersburg to point out the shortcomings he sees among university administration and faculty alike. Read about how he thinks we could all be more accommodating to students with disabilities.

What it do, ABBA boo? Swedish fans old and new got a taste of covered ‘70s grooves. Couldn’t make it? Had to snooze? We’ve got the story and photos, too.

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Volume 54, Issue 6 - February 17, 2020 | Online at crowsneststpete.com

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SG senator who clashed with police faces criminal charge By James Bennett III jamesbennett@mail.usf.edu

A THOMAS IACOBUCCI | THE CROW’S NEST

Rex Orange County stopped by the House of Blues Orlando on Valentine’s Day. His show was packed with indie bedroom pop, and the stage danced with bright colors. Relive the experience with Photo Editor Thomas Iacobucci on page 8. See story, page 8.

Questions abound as consolidated SG elections begin

Those details won’t be resolved until the student governments from all three campuses agree on a consolidated financial hen USF’s code, which outlines the three student process and regulations governments for allocating student fee consolidate in July, USF St. Petersburg will have its revenue. Although the next own campus council with meeting about the financial nine members, as well as code is scheduled for Feb. nine seats on the system21, Jadzia “Jazzy” Duarte, wide senate. But the campus will have USF St. Petersburg student body president, could not to hold a special election predict when the financial in the summer to fill its positions. Only one student code would be finished. “I’m not worried that has applied for campus we’re going into this council, and six for the election cycle with an senate. unfinalized financial code,” And as campaigning Duarte said in an email to for SG general elections The Crow’s Nest. “This begins today, it remains unclear which of the elected code will be used for the next Student Government positions will be paid and placements, and the new how much they will earn. leadership will have This year, 22 members of meetings with current USF St. Petersburg’s SG leadership before taking are collectively making office to understand the $70,704 in salaries. new process. By Katlynn Mullins and Emily Wunderlich katlynnm@mail.usf.edu ewunderlich@mail.usf.edu

“The current budget that we’re making will be for the 2020/2021 fiscal year, so they will not be affected as much until the (next) election cycle comes Spring 2021.” The three campus councils will be responsible for recommending the allocation of student fee revenue to the Tampabased, Tampa-dominated SG senate. Each council will have six members, plus a campus attorney, campus public defender and campus financial officer. Each campus will also have a governor and lieutenant governor who will essentially replace the current SG presidents and vice presidents. The system-wide senate will comprise 60 seats — five of which will be guaranteed to each campus, while the rest are >> SEE ELECTIONS on P3

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senator in Student Government who was detained and handcuffed by university police in November for interfering with an investigation now faces a criminal charge from the Pinellas-Pasco state attorney’s office. Karla Correa, 20, a secondyear political science major, was charged Feb. 4 with obstructing or resisting an officer without violence. That is a first-degree misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail, 12 months’ probation and a $1,000 fine. The charge against Correa came shortly before the university police department released a 32-page internal report on the November incident. The report cleared two officers of misconduct and concluded that “Correa’s actions, both verbally and physically, hindered their ability to complete that investigation.” In response, Correa said she has hired an attorney – whom she did not identify – to defend her against the state attorney’s charge. She also criticized the police department’s internal investigation, contending that the investigator did not interview all potential witnesses and glossed over some statements from other witnesses. Correa said the investigator did not properly address her allegations that the officers used excessive force against her and that one of the officers had made inappropriate comments in the past. “Police are never held accountable so I’m not surprised,” she said. At issue in the case is the way two university police officers – who are white – were treating a young black man who was seen trying to get into Residence Hall One around 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 7. The man, a non-student

who has had several brushes with the law, was ultimately given a trespass warning and barred from campus. Correa, who was leaving RHO with friends, objected to the way the officers were treating the man, Joshua Isaiah Simmons, 21. When she ignored the officers’ instructions to keep her distance, police said, they handcuffed her for obstructing their investigation and took her to the university police office. The police then referred the case to the state attorney’s office and to the university’s Office of Student Conduct, which investigates alleged violations of the campus code of conduct. The next day, Correa and two of her friends filed allegations of misconduct against the two officers, Michael Wasserman and Patrick O’Donnell. That led to the internal investigation by university police Lt. Paul Andrews that ended Feb. 13 with the 32-page report clearing the officers. Correa and her friends “really felt like they had legal course to do what they did,” but the police investigation “determined (the students) really

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Correa criticized the police department’s internal investigation, contending that the investigator did not interview all potential witnesses, glossed over important witness statements and did not fully address her allegations. >> SEE POLICE on P2

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USF embraces Public Records Law in lawsuit filed by Wisniewska By The Crow’s Nest Staff

s former Regional Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska continues to press a lawsuit against the USF system, a key part of the administration’s defense remains the Florida Public Records Law. In an amended complaint filed Dec. 12 in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, Wisniewska says she resigned in September 2017 after then-President Judy Genshaft agreed to withdraw the draft of an explosive letter firing Wisniewska for the way she handled preparations for Hurricane Irma. Under that agreement, Wisniewksa contends, Genshaft assured her that the termination letter would “not be executed or placed in her personnel file,” where it would be subject to disclosure under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes – the Public Records Law. But the letter, which harshly criticized Wisniewska, was released to the news media – a move that Wisniewska says “disparaged” her reputation and destroyed her “employability and professional standing.” In its Feb. 4 response

to the amended complaint, Genshaft and the university contend that Wisniewska’s allegations of breach of contract and breach of good faith “fail because they rely on an agreement which could not be performed without violating a statutory provision” – the Public Records Law. “When a contract or agreement, express or implied, is tainted with the vice of such illegality, no alleged right founded upon the contract or agreement can be enforced in a court of justice,” Genshaft and the university contend. As the lawsuit, originally filed in April 2019, continues to ping-pong with filings from both sides, the university has repeatedly stressed that Wisniewska waived her right to sue when she signed the voluntary resignation agreement. The university also says that the resignation agreement specifies that the agreement and other records related to Wisniewska’s employment “may be subject to Chapter 119.” Releasing them to the public “shall not be deemed a violation” of the terms of the agreement, the agreement says. Wisniewska’s lawsuit

COURTESY OF SOPHIA WISNIEWSKA

Sophia Wisniewska contends her “employability and professional standing” were destroyed by her ouster.

accuses the USF system and Genshaft of breach of contract, breach of “the covenant of good faith and fair dealing,” defamation and “intentional infliction of emotional distress.” The lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $15,000, which is standard language in a civil lawsuit in Florida circuit court. Last October, Circuit Judge Ralph C. Stoddard dismissed parts of Wisniewska’s lawsuit but ruled that she could file an amended complaint. That led to the second amended complaint filed Dec. 12.

POLICE, continued from P1 overstepped their bounds,” said police Chief David Hendry. “Their intentions, while good, may have been misguided. They basically stepped in and interfered with the officers and the legal performance of their duties. “While we encourage you to monitor police activities and ensure that you are maintaining a watchful eye and so forth, it is definitely not appropriate to insert yourself into the middle of an investigation where officers are dealing with a suspicious person,” said Hendry. Naya Payne, a friend of Correa who witnessed the confrontation and cosigned the complaint against the two officers, has said a police internal investigation of its own officers would be biased against the students. “It’s easy for someone to say that,” responded Hendry, “but I have a vested interest to ensure that our police department is a professional law enforcement agency, that the campus can feel safe, that we are providing the best service to our community.” In a statement, Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock praised university police “for conducting an investigation that was

thorough and unbiased. “The findings are clear: the officers involved acted properly to keep our students safe, which is always our top priority at USFSP,” said Tadlock. “I appreciate the professionalism that all members of the UPD displayed throughout this incident and their ongoing commitment to serving our campus community.” What happened that night? According to a police report, officer Wasserman first saw Simmons “acting strangely” in the campus parking garage around 11:16 p.m. Wasserman, who has been on the overnight shift for 11-and-a-half years, according to the UPD internal investigation, noted that Simmons didn’t appear to be a student or faculty member, was wearing dark clothing and was in a place that was unusual for anyone to be in, particularly late at night. Wasserman tried to call out to Simmons near the Peter Rudy Wallace building, but Simmons — who was chanting something — only acknowledged Wasserman with a grin, then turned around and kept walking. Shortly afterward,

Wasserman watched Simmons try to get into RHO. Wassserman asked Simmons if he was a student or staff member. Simmons said that he was neither and that he pulled on the RHO door handle because he was curious what the building looked like from the inside. Wasserman told Simmons that although he wasn’t in trouble, he was going to be issued a trespass warning from the campus. Officer O’Donnell arrived around that time, after Wasserman requested backup, and Wasserman retrieved a trespass warning form and a clipboard from his car. During the investigation, Simmons indicated he knew someone who lives in RHO, but he was unable to give Wasserman a name, room number or phone number. Instead, Simmons kept calling out to students, claiming they knew each other and asking them to let him into the building. Wasserman noted that Simmons stuck a hand down his pants at one point during the conversation, “vigorously” rubbed his genitals, then looked at Wasserman and sniffed two fingers. In the internal investigation

report, O’Donnell said Simmons seemed relaxed and was flipping his wallet around while talking to O’Donnell. According to the report, the two mostly joked about the fact that Simmons couldn’t name anyone in RHO. During the UPD internal investigation later on, Simmons — who was in custody at the Pinellas County Jail on unrelated charges — said he has a scattered memory of the night because he was drunk. However, Simmons said he did not feel threatened by the officers. Shortly before the officers finished issuing Summons his trespass, around 11:36 p.m., Correa and a group of her friends walked out of RHO and Correa began speaking to Simmons. There were other students nearby who watched the incident. Correa said Simmons looked uneasy, so she asked if he was all right. After Simmons said he wasn’t all right, Correa said, she decided to stick around. Officers Wasserman and O’Donnell asked whether Correa knew Simmons. Correa said she did, but later admitted they had never met and only told the officers

she knew Simmons because she didn’t trust them. “I was just trying to make sure he was OK,” Correa said in a previous interview with The Crow’s Nest. “I wasn’t trying to lie to the police. I wasn’t trying to cause any trouble.” Past incidents on campus Security at the campus’ two residence halls is a top priority of university police. There have been multiple instances of non-residents breaching RHO’s security and putting residents in danger. In February 2019, a 19-year-old male gained access to the building, waited for a female resident he had briefly dated to return to her dorm, then dragged her to a stairwell by her hair and battered her. Then, he forced her into her car and drove to a secluded area to batter her again. Two months later, another non-student, 21, followed his former girlfriend into RHO and battered another student there, police said. In February 2016, another non-student was arrested after he masturbated behind a female student and touched her in the parking garage elevator.

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Trop could be possible home to future USF site By Jonah Hinebaugh jonahh@mail.usf.edu eather baseball mitts and the crack of wooden bats echoing off empty seats could be a thing of the past in St. Petersburg by 2030. Instead, the 86 acres that make up Tropicana Field could be redeveloped into a mixed-use site and reintegrated as part of the community. And USF wants to be part of that discussion. According to conceptual master plans designed by HKS Architects, it would include a “district center supporting entertainment and retail surrounded by an innovation, technology and research campus, cultural entertainment, hotel, convention (center) and offices.” According to designs within the plan, the research and development campus would be around 22 acres in total –– or 25 percent of the space. The architectural firm designed two plans based on whether a new, publicly funded stadium would be constructed. But any construction or renovations related to the project most likely won’t begin until after 2027, when the lease –– binding the Tampa Bay Rays to play all home games at the field –– between the baseball club and the City expires. Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock said he’s been in contact with the city to ensure USF St. Petersburg is at the table if redevelopment takes place.

“(The city) said they’re planning on USF and probably one other university as well to have a conversation about becoming part of that plan, so that’s what I wanted,” he said. “If they develop a plan that you see on the website, going forward I’d hope that USF has a presence there on that site (and a) partnership with the city,” he said. “(The partnership would be) probably in a very specialized kind of research and development environment that allows our students (to have) additional opportunities, and community people as well.” In the design plans, HKS notes partnerships between medical centers and the university are a strong possibility. “Existing tech and medical centers nearby, such as USF St. Petersburg and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, present an opportunity to tie the St. Petersburg Innovation District

COURTESY OF HKS ARCHITECTS

The proposed campus would be built on parcels nine and 10. The two make up a combined 22 acres according to the plan.

to the site,” the document says. The partnership could drive future economic development and education while expanding the institutional presence already in the area, it said. Tadlock echoed the sentiments, saying a working partnership between the College of Marine Science and medical centers would

COURTESY OF HKS ARCHITECTS

An image from the second conceptual master plan by HKS Architects. The firm drew up plans with and without a new baseball stadium based on whether or not the Rays plan to stay in St. Petersburg.

present good opportunities due to the location of the city. “There’s a lot of research that happens in this region, especially in the sciences and in the healthcare industry,” he said. “So, we have a desire moving forward to bring together the marine sciences and human health because both, of course, are very interdependent. “We’re sitting where that really matters, and so I would hope that there’s an opportunity to present those two broad fields together in a way that benefits people who live here. “Why not start addressing the gap and bringing those folks together? Maybe one aspect of a research center could be focused on the intersection of the marine and life sciences, and what the applications are for people in those industries,” he said. The plan also seems to include language appealing to the communities in south St. Petersburg.

It includes reconnecting the city grid, creating footpaths for access to the new area from the Campbell Park area and a reexamination of the possibilities for the future of I-175. Originally, plans to redevelop the Gas Plant District –– where the Trop stands now –– began in the 1980s. According to a 1998 St. Petersburg Times article, the City told the Gas Plant community in 1979 that it would get “a new neighborhood of up-todate, affordable housing, with an industrial park for light manufacturing on the west end. Buildings worth saving on the east end would be refurbished.” Three years later, the City decided to level the neighborhood to make way for a new stadium. As a result, 522 households were relocated, more than 30 businesses moved or closed and 285 buildings were demolished by 1986. In 1998, the Rays began its first season on the soil of a once vibrant district. A recent Tampa Bay Times article said Kriseman sees this redevelopment as a way to reconnect the city and bring St. Petersburg back together. “I know they want to lift the communities, and the city as a whole, in whatever they do in developing that property,” Tadlock said. “It’s not just to bring in a certain level of clientele and exclude others. I think that’s not in the desires or the plan for the city at all.”

ELECTIONS, continued from P1 apportioned “according to the percentages of the total number of students enrolled at each campus.” For USF St. Petersburg, that means a total of nine seats — leaving three vacant if all six who have applied are elected. “Personally, I did expect more students to apply,” Duarte said. “We were out tabling and advertising for weeks. We were hoping that through engagement events (i.e. SG hangouts) that we would get more interest. “I fear the confusion that lies within consolidation and its new SG strayed some students away.” Students are able to vote for system-wide presidential and senate candidates from any campus. On the ballot during the March 2-5 election are three presidential tickets from USF Tampa and one from USF St. Petersburg. For governor and lieutenant governor of each campus, there are two tickets from St. Petersburg, one from

Sarasota-Manatee and two from Tampa. According to The Oracle, the student newspaper in Tampa, for the system-wide senate, 68 students have applied from Tampa, six from St. Petersburg and three from Sarasota-Manatee. But, despite Tampa’s larger student population, its voter turnout has seen a dramatic drop in recent years. In 2019, 3,677 out of 43,866 students voted. In 2017, 8,636 out of 43,542 voted — a 68% drop in two years. In 2019, 574 out of 4,908 USF St. Petersburg students voted — putting St. Petersburg’s turnout at about 12 percent and Tampa’s at about eight. “I do not think that Tampa is at an advantage due to their student population,” Duarte said. “It’s not the population that matters as much, but more so the amount of students who vote.”

St. Pete’s candidates The following information was pulled from each candidate’s application. Their biographies were not immediately available because SG’s supervisor of elections, Maria Starr, was inaccessible over the weekend, according to SG adviser Bob Herron.

System-wide president and VP P: Trevor Martindale, political science major. VP: Darnell Henderson, graphic design major.

Governor and lieutenant governor (St. Pete campus) G: Jonathon Hatzistefanou, political science major. LG: Veronica Jimenez, political science major. G: Andrea Rodriguez Campos, junior environmental science and policy major. LG: Isaiah Castle, sophomore political science major.

System senate • Michael Johnson, junior environmental science and policy major. • Yelizza’s Mercedes, sophomore biomedical science major. • Eran Fruehauf, sophomore political science major. • Emily Maronie, sophomore political science major. • Hatzistefanou and Jimenez.

Campus council • Hatzistefanou.

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The end of the road: Students reflect on New Hampshire primary experience

By Dylan Hart dhart4@mail.usf.edu t was a freezing February day in New Hampshire. Jacob Terrell, undeterred by the bitter cold and rain, knocked on a door that he would never forget. An elderly woman came to the door and invited him in. They spoke about the upcoming political primary by the fire, with tea in hand, for almost half an hour. Terrell pitched his candidate, Elizabeth Warren, to the woman. She was a stranger to Terrell, but her warmth and hospitality still shined through. “That’s something I’m going to take with me for the rest of my life,” Terrell said. “It was the American experience.” Terrell was one of 29 students on the Road to the White House, an intensive political science course that takes students to New Hampshire for 10 days surrounding the primary election. Students picked their candidate and volunteered on their team, knocking on doors and calling phones alongside attending classes, forums and meetings. Terrell, along with students Jadzia “Jazzy” Duarte, Trevor Martindale,

Haley Hobbs and Andrea Rodriguez Campos, shared experiences from the New Hampshire snow to attendees at the Bay-to-Bay faculty symposium on Feb. 14. The students took a lot of lessons home with them from the election, whether their candidate won or lost. While the six panelists were all politically involved before traveling to New Hampshire, they all felt that the experience fundamentally changed their understanding of the political process. “They can read about the New Hampshire primary, they can watch things on the news, but I really wanted to take them to experience it for themselves,” said professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan. “It’s electrifying in a way that’s hard to describe.” Duarte, who campaigned for Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said that Scourfield McLauchlan telling students that they would be getting up at 6 a.m. to walk in the snow and getting back at midnight every day wasn’t an exaggeration. Still, she learned a lot from the class. “You saw how intense the campaign offices were and how into the field everyone was getting,” she said. She was also struck by

COURTESY OF TREVOR MARTINDALE

Martindale poses in a New Hampshire neighborhood while canvassing, holding up a stack of promotional photos for Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt.

the sheer number of people she met while volunteering, between voters and politicians. It motivated her to “be even more involved in politics,” she said. One rare facet of the campaign was the high

number of undecided voters on election day, said Scourfield McLauchlan. This led to a lot of long talks with voters for students. Martindale, who campaigned for Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., recalled

a passerby rolling down his window upon hearing Martindale’s team discussing Sanders. It turned into a long conversation where the voter told the team his life story. The state’s size gives the primary a close-knit feel that can’t be captured in Florida, said Rodriguez Campos, who also campaigned for Sanders. There was a recurring joke in New Hampshire, she said, that followed, “‘I’m not sure if I’m going to vote for Elizabeth Warren, I’ve only met her twice.’ It shows New Hampshire politics in a nutshell.” The students on Sanders’ team saw him so many times that by the end, they were reciting his speech from memory, Campos said. The students’ experiences went beyond campaigning. Everyone met candidates Pete Buttigieg, Tom Steyer and Amy Klobuchar. They also met “media stars” like Kevin Costner and Michael J. Fox. Duarte and another student on the Klobuchar campaign even got free tickets to the Feb. 7 debate in Manchester, New Hampshire. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: It was the best 10 days of my life,” said Haley Hobbs, who worked for the Pete Buttigieg campaign.

Open mic shines light on growing new club By Edyn Gottlieb Contributor

here do broken hearts go? For the poets at USF St. Petersburg, they went to the Valentine’s/AntiValentine’s Open Mic. On Feb. 11, students from the Poetry Club gathered in the University Student Center ballroom to listen to and perform their Valentine’s Day-themed poems. As everyone found a seat, club president Darien DesirThompson remarked on the growing turnout. It has only been a year since Desir-Thompson started the Poetry Club with friend and former club president Giovanna Cano. The turnout was impressive, according to the duo. Asked why they started the Poetry Club, DesirThompson and Cano explained that they’ve been writing poetry “forever” and wanted a place to share it. As the night progressed, it was clear they were not alone in

their feelings. After a round of “rotation poetry” — a game where sheets of paper are passed around a circle with each person writing a line on each sheet until the poem is completed — the group returned to talking. Student Xia Serpenta remarked on how poetry has always been a way for her to express herself. She’d been writing poetry for five years before joining the club nearly a year ago. She now serves as the vice president. As the event drew to a close, a reminder for their upcoming event, “Voices of the Black Experience,” was announced. The event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 on the deck outside The Edge. All are welcome, whether it is to perform a piece or listen to others, Serpenta said. If you’re interested in joining the Poetry Club, it meets on Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. in the USC Ocean Room.

CASSIDY SCHUCK | THE CROW’S NEST

Giovanna Cano, left, receives flowers from her boyfriend at the Poetry Club’s Valentine’s/Anti-Valentine’s Open Mic on Feb. 11.

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Editorial: What NCF, Polytechnic should know about consolidation By The Crow’s Nest Staff

THE CROW’S NEST The Crow’s Nest is committed to providing its readers with news relevant to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and its surrounding community. The Crow’s Nest abides by the highest ethical standards and focuses on stories that help readers make informed decisions on current issues. We take seriously the public’s trust in our news reporting and strive to uphold the highest standards of reporting as defined by the Society of Professional Journalists. Opinions in this newspaper do not necessarily represent those of the administration, faculty or student body.

Reach Us USFSP Student Life Center Office 2400 140 Seventh Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL, 33701 (727) 873-4113 usfcrowsnest@gmail.com

Staff Editor-in-Chief Emily Wunderlich

Editorial Staff

Managing Editor Dylan Hart Online Editor Katlynn Mullins News Editor James Bennett III Arts & Life Editor Carrie Pinkard Op-Ed & Feature Editor Jonah Hinebaugh Staff Reporter Savannah Carr

t seems the backlash wasn’t clear enough when the Florida Legislature abolished USF St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee’s independent accreditations in 2018. Now, lawmakers have set their sights on two more targets: New College of Florida in Sarasota, and Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland — both former satellite campuses of USF. Under House Bill 7087, proposed on Feb. 10, both public institutions would become part of Florida State University and the University of Florida, respectively, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The bill to strip their independence is sponsored by state Rep. Randy Fine, a Palm Bay Republican who is chairman of the House Higher Education Subcommittee. He says his proposal would reduce how much the state spends on higher education. The measure was approved by the House Education Committee with a 12-6 vote on Feb. 12. It does not have a companion bill in the Senate. The Education Dive

Creative Director Mary Kate “MK” Brittain Photography Editor Thomas Iacobucci

Operations Staff

Letters to The Editor The Crow’s Nest accepts letters to the editor. All submissions should be no more than 500 words. Writers must include their full name. In addition, USF faculty should include their title, department and extension. All letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. Letters can be sent to ewunderlich@mail.usf.edu with subject title “Letter to the Editor.” Because of high production costs, members of the USFSP community are permitted one copy per issue. Where available, additional copies may be purchased for 10 cents each by contacting the newspaper’s editor-inchief or managing editor. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and/or university discipline.

in The Crow’s Nest to clear the fog around consolidation and the advocacy of longtime faculty to keep these changes from turning the campus into a shell of its former self. These are luxuries that other schools aren’t always able to afford. The two smaller USF campuses have had to fight tooth and nail to remain anywhere near autonomous. And even when they think they’ve sprung a victory, the main university body still tries to sneakily ensure plans that benefit them (and them alone). Such was the case only a few weeks ago, when The Crow’s Nest found charts showing the St. Petersburg and SarasotaManatee campus regional chancellors having little to no authority, despite repeated promises from President Steve Currall. Both NCF and Florida Polytechnic will likely be falsely assured that a lot of the things that once made them thrive will stay in place. University administration will see both campuses as little more than a number and will make sure that each school falls in line with whatever the bigger campus is doing, even if it doesn’t

make sense — i.e. taking entire colleges from the USF St. Petersburg campus and placing them under the authority of Tampa. Despite inactive or defunct student newspapers, the struggle must continue. The Crow’s Nest commends both NCF and FPU students for organizing walkouts and being outraged at the news. In the case of USF, we will be left to wonder what difference it would’ve made if students acted out more against the merger –– whether it be organizing protests or signing the petition one student made. This is a time for faculty, administration and students to stand united in a struggle against legislation that would effectively erode the progress made by each school. The path carved by them should not hastily be erased in favor of adding to two already monolithic schools. Push your representatives to speak out. Educate your classmates. Hold accountable the ones who introduced the bill and are idle in the struggle against it. Most importantly, do not fall so easily into aloofness and believe the freedom and authority enjoyed now will stay the same.

Inverting the burden on disabled students

Design Staff

Marketing Manager Brianna Rodriguez Adviser Rob Hooker

website, which covers and analyzes education governance, says other states have adopted similar mergers in an attempt to blunt declining enrollments and reduce administrative costs. At both campuses, leaders denounced the proposal and the way it was sprung on them. “We respectfully and strongly oppose this unnecessary and unwarranted legislation,” Florida Polytechnic said in a statement. “Dunderheaded ideas are blooming like early azaleas up in Tallahassee,” the Sarasota Herald-Tribune editorial board said. As students at a university undergoing the consolidation process, we want to shed light on the glaring struggles and issues that riddle the process and, most likely, the final product. When the initial phases of consolidation were underway, the university was considering a number of sweeping changes to USF St. Petersburg, including designating the campus as an “instructional site,” largely sapping it of its autonomy and identity. It took dozens of stories

By Bernardo H. Motta Assistant professor of theory and community journalism bhmotta@mail.usf.edu

his article is a response to an opinion piece published by staff writer Savannah Carr on Jan. 21 in The Crow’s Nest and an appeal to administrators, faculty, staff and students to move the burden of getting accommodations from disabled students and put it where it should be: on all of us. First, to my colleagues in the faculty, we need to make sure the content of our classes, assignments and any task or resource is either accessible or has accessible alternatives. It’s not only the law, but it’s good practice.

Any faculty member can work with the library’s instructional design specialists to build accessible content for courses. Doing so reduces much of the burden on the students to figure out with Disabilities Services how to adapt to each individual course while they are already taking the course. This shouldn’t need saying, but Savannah’s experience proves it still does: Don’t make your students’ lives harder than necessary. Students are human beings with jobs (often more than one), families, other classes and health issues, just like everyone else. Disabled students usually have to go through a routine of self-care that takes a lot of their free time in addition to what everyone else has to do. We can demand quality in their work and effort in their learning, but we must be reasonable and be willing to work with them. Asking disabled students (or any student) to jump through unreasonable hoops just because we don’t want to be flexible is not just unfair, it’s morally wrong. If you don’t know how to help them, learn. It’s part of our job.

Second, Savannah has reached out to administrators, including Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock, but we don’t seem to be collecting proper data on disabled students. We need to start collecting and making the data accessible to the public. We can’t improve anything systemically if we don’t know what the system is. The university should also offer proper training to staff, faculty and students to make the campus culture more inclusive and accessible. We can’t say that we welcome disabled students and then make their lives unnecessarily and disproportionately harder than the lives of others. Many of the issues are linked to visibility and education. We should hire disabled experts on disability and inclusion in education to provide training and consulting. They are at the forefront of the discussion and can be much more effective than nondisabled experts. Speaking of visibility, the ADA accommodations on campus need to be labeled better. For students in wheelchairs or other students who cannot take the stairs, it

is difficult to find the elevators in almost every building — for example, the elevator in the Student Life Center. Not to mention, the ramps are rather secluded for some buildings, such as the University Student Center. Again, there is a legal liability here, but it’s also a crucial element in forging a welcoming campus culture. We all should treat disabled students exactly as we would like to be treated. If you are planning an event, make sure it’s accessible and inclusive — not just physically, but also culturally. Use the microphone (it’s not for you, it’s for the disabled student). Don’t schedule meetings in places that are inaccessible. Don’t make inaccessible activities the center of an event without offering inclusive alternatives. Use communication technology that allows for a range of disabilities and improves the experience overall. For a list of additional resources, visit the online story at crowsneststpete.com. Savannah Carr contributed to this article.

7 February 17, 2020

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International conference: More than bombs and rockets

By Emily Wunderlich

ewunderlich@mail.usf.edu

he eighth annual St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs this week promises a little something for everyone — including some extra space in the campus parking garage. From Wednesday through Friday, nearly 90 experts in government, academia, business, the military, the news media and the arts will descend on USF St. Petersburg. And this year, attendees are being directed to park at the Mahaffey Theater, in metered street spots or in handicap spots. In previous years, they could park in the university garage, which forced some students to find parking elsewhere. The conference — which is free to attend — is expected to draw thousands of people as it continues its growing emphasis on art and community outreach. This will be the first year the conference expands to Eckerd College, where retired Army Gen. John Nicholson, who recently commanded NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, will deliver the closing address at 7 p.m. Friday in Fox Hall, 4200 54th Ave. S. Carol Bellamy — a former director of the Peace Corps and former executive director of UNICEF — will be the

EMILY WUNDERLICH | THE CROW’S NEST

Since 2013, the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs has sought to contextualize international affairs across the political spectrum. Pictured above is a panel on the opinionation of news from Feb. 25, 2019. From left: William Dowell, Marguerite Moritz, Donald Morrison (moderator), Douglas Herbert, Jim Verhulst.

conference’s first female keynote speaker. Her address, “The Rights and Plights of the World’s Children,” will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Ave. N. Bellamy is chair of a Geneva-based nonprofit that works to strengthen resilience against what it calls “violent extremist agendas” through job creation and empowering women and youth. Also new to the conference will be its take on “International Week,” which was dubbed Feb. 11–16 by Mayor Rick Kriseman in 2019. The conference will partner with local businesses to host additional artistic and

culinary events throughout the week. But for Thomas W. Smith, political science professor and co-founder of the event, the conference will always be a “flagship” event for USF St. Petersburg. “If we didn’t do it, people would say, ‘Where’s our conference?’” he said. Topics will include “Climate Change: Florida at Ground Zero”; “Women’s Equality: When is the Battle Won?”; “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Health Care”; “Politics of Infectious Disease”; “Obesity as a Global Public Health Issue”; and “Media Literacy: Making Sense of It All.”

Conference President Diane Seligsohn, a journalist who splits her time between St. Petersburg and Paris, says the panels will offer attendees “something that they’re not getting elsewhere.” “I think international coverage has really declined in this country, especially during this presidency, where so much of the focus is on what the president is saying or what the president is doing,” she said. “With the media, you sometimes have information about a certain subject or a certain country, and it’s in the news — it might even be on the front page one day or two days — and then it just

disappears,” she said. “So it’s the whole thing of putting events into context that I think is missing in people’s daily lives.” If the panels aren’t enough, students will also get to hear from representatives of the U.S. State Department, Peace Corps, and Fulbright Scholars program during free recruitment luncheons on Wednesday through Friday at 12:30 p.m. in the ballrooms. Since 2013, when the conference began as a oneday, 10-panel event that drew 200 attendees, it has sought to contextualize international affairs across the political spectrum. Now, its focus is on making the conference more inclusive and accessible. “When (students) initially look in the room, they’re going to see, you know, 600 people there, and they might think, ‘Maybe this isn’t my scene,’” Smith said. “Grab a seat anyway. “I think they’ll pretty quickly see that this is actually a pretty lively discussion, and I think they’ll be engaged.” For registration, scheduled speakers and other events, visit https://stpetersburgconferenceonworldaffairs.com/. If you’d like to get involved with the conference as a volunteer, you can fill out a contact form at https:// stpetersburgconferenceonworldaffairs.com/contact.

W h at to do t his we e k : Feb. 1 7-23 By Brianna Rodriguez blrodriguez@mail.usf.edu MONDAY Put an end to your nightmares with a handmade dream catcher. Learn how to build a personalized dream catcher at Mad Hatters Ethnobotanical Kava Bar, 4685 28th St. N, at 7:30 p.m. The event is $10 and includes all of the supplies needed. RSVP on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/ events/133826674481254/. TUESDAY Attend a panel discussion about the controversy around St. Petersburg’s historical icons at Beyond the Green Bench: A Community

Conversation. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Manhattan Casino, 642 22nd St. S. The event is free, but reservations are required. RSVP online at https://bookwhen.com/ floridaholocaustmuseum/e/ ev-s8fm-20200218183000 or call 727-8200100 ext. 301. WEDNESDAY Enjoy a night of music and learning at Tombolo Books, 2153 First Ave. S, featuring Roy Peter Clark, a former journalist turned writing instructor. The event will celebrate the launch of his most recent book, “Murder Your Darlings: And Other Gentle Writing

Advice from Aristotle to Zinsser.” The free event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. THURSDAY Meet local business owners and entrepreneurs at the Small Business Networking Monthly Event at Fashion Scrub Depot, 2604 Central Ave. The event is free and begins at 6 p.m. FRIDAY Enjoy Greek food, music and dancing at St. Petersburg’s Super Greek Festival. The free event will be held at St. Stephanos Super Greek Festival, 3600 76th St. N, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Register online at

https://bit.ly/2u2c6BK. Want to rent a sailboat from Campus Recreation? Sign up for its Start Sailing Right program, where you’ll learn the necessary skills to safely navigate a sailboat. Skills include knot-tying, seamanship, sail theory, emergency procedures, boat handling and sail trim. The class rate is $95 for students, and the course can be purchased at bit.ly/usfsprecshop. Space is limited. SATURDAY Meet local business owners and celebrate all things local at Localtopia. The free, two-day event will be celebrating its

seventh year and will be held at Williams Park, 350 Second Ave. N, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Celebrate the grand opening of Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern, 29 Third St. N, from 8 to 11 p.m. with live music from local band Celtic Conundrum. SUNDAY Take a Sunday stroll through the Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N, between noon and 4:30 p.m. to celebrate its flock’s birthday at the Flamingo Festival. Enjoy live music, food, drinks and its featured “flamosas.” Tickets cost $12 for adults and $6 for children.

8 February 17, 2020

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ABBA MANIA turns back time

Story and photos by Decker Lavely Contributor

rom platform boots to disco dance moves and the memorable hits of ABBA — the 1970s were back, if just for one night. On the Mahaffey Theater stage Feb. 13, the Swedish pop band’s song “Waterloo’’ welcomed audience members to the tribute show “ABBA MANIA.” In homage to the group’s legacy, “ABBA MANIA” began in 2000 on London’s West End. It now tours around the world and premiered in the U.S. for the first time seven years ago. In typical ABBA fashion, the cast sported bold ‘70s style clothing with plenty of sequins. The members recreated the band’s final performances before they broke up in 1982, giving audiences a taste of an ABBA concert experience. The U.S. tour comprises four performers singing and acting as the original group members: Kirbi Jo Long as Agnetha Fältskog; James Allen as Björn Ulvaeus; Jeff Pike as Benny Andersson and Amy Stewart as AnniFrid Lyngstad. The audience broke out in cheers and dance during Thursday’s performance as the familiar first notes from

“Mamma Mia” filled the theater. The iconic love song united longtime ABBA fans and those who learned the band’s greatest hits from the films “Mamma Mia!” and “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” “Something I love about the show is that we have audience members who are 5 years old singing every single word, and you have people who are 90 years old singing every word,” Stewart said. Stewart joined the tribute tour three years ago. She’s been a part of other productions on London’s West End, like “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” and has toured with Disney’s “The Lion King.” Her parents shared their love for ABBA with Stewart growing up, turning her into a devoted fan. “ABBA has such a way of telling stories,” Stewart said. “Every single song is a story and I just think that connects with so many people.” Fluorescent stage lights behind the band changed from a bright red to a moodsetting blue. Long and Stewart sat on stools near Pike’s white Yamaha piano and encouraged fans to join them in singing “Fernando.” Arms flew up across the theater and swayed

back and forth, reflecting the performers’ moves and spirit. “Fernando,” one of ABBA’s best selling singles and chart-topping songs, centers on two reminiscing war veterans. “There was something in the air that night, the stars were bright, Fernando,” voices sang. “Take a Chance on Me,” “Super Trouper” and “Lay All Your Love On Me” were other upbeat favorites on the ABBA MANIA setlist. Long’s powerful solo performance of “The Winner Takes it All” captivated listeners and earned a booming applause. Allen walked slowly down the stage steps while playfully singing “Does Your Mother Know” and cozying up on the laps of laughing audience members. ABBA MANIA closed the show with “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme,” with fans still standing from their seats as the stage went dark. One song had not yet been performed. As the stage lights returned and each member reappeared, the famous piano glissando played, signaling the start of ABBA’s utmost anticipated anthem, “Dancing Queen.” “Everyone wants to be a dancing queen when they hear it,” Stewart said.

pop, indie, hip-hop and jazz. With the release of “Pony” in October 2019, O’Connor further solidified himself within the indie/alternative scene, showcasing his creative, youthful sound, filled with catchy riffs contrasted by melancholy ballads on the 10-track album. O’Connor’s inherent ability to convey empathy and emotion has transcended his stillblossoming, yet popular career — making his Valentine’s Day set that much more intimate. On a stage lined with green turf and sunflowers, standing no higher than 5 feet against a backdrop of fake blue sky with three-dimensional clouds, O’Connor stood above the sea of fans that traveled across central Florida to see him perform. Opening the show with “10/10,” the same opening track on his latest album, O’Connor struck into a soulful, pianoclad rendition, reciting the first few lyrics as though he were alone and back in his studio. With the help of a fiveperson band, “10/10” quickly transitioned into its original fun, pop-filled indie sound, with O’Connor cavorting across the stage while simultaneously leading the crowd as they sang along. Keeping the energy from the first song going, O’Connor went to his new arsenal of songs on “Pony,” playing “Laser

Lights,” a jazz-inspired song that relies just as heavily on its lyrics as it does on its fluctuating synth beats and its use of brass and woodwind instruments. Despite mainly sticking to tracks from his latest album, O’Connor did give the concertgoers some of his personal hits from his past two records, such as “Sunflower,” “Loving is Easy,” “Best Friend” and “Corduroy Dreams.” At one point, around halfway through his set, O’Connor sat back down at his keyboard setup and began playing Alicia Keys’ “No One.” Though the crowd may have been too young to remember the song’s release, they belted out the words in unison as if it were a Rex Orange County original. There is a unique appeal to Rex Orange County, and it’s not just in the 21-year-old’s mildmannered stage presence that progressively becomes more jubilant and interactive as he performs –– though this is one major appeal. O’Connor’s charm becomes fused in his onstage banter, making its way into each of his songs, eventually bleeding over into the crowd. With only four more stops on his 2020 “Pony” tour, it’s safe to say that O’Connor has crossed the threshold into maturity, calculating and relaying the ups and downs of what every 20-something eventually endures.

The ABBA cover band performed classics like “Dancing Queen” and “Mama Mia.”

Amy Edwards, left, and Jeff Pike of the ABBA tribute band perform at the Mahaffey Theater on Feb. 13. The show, dubbed “ABBA MANIA,” began in 2000 on London’s West End. It’s U.S. tour includes more than 30 shows that ends in early March.

A Valentine’s evening spent with Rex Orange County Story and photo by Thomas Iacobucci tiacobucci@mail.usf.edu

crowd of 20-somethings gathered in the small, standing room only venue at the House of Blues Orlando on Feb. 14. Bordering adolescence and on the impending edge of adulthood, the crowd stood shoulderto-shoulder in anticipation of the show’s beginning. No older than the hundreds in the crowd he was playing for, Alex O’Connor — more commonly known as Rex Orange County — walked out on stage to a flurry of screams. Born in Hampshire, England, in 1998, O’Connor burst into the indie-pop movement at the age of 16, uploading self-produced tracks to SoundCloud and gaining recognition from fans across the world, eventually landing a feature on Tyler, The Creator’s 2017 album “Flower Boy.” O’Connor’s latest album, “Pony,” sees a natural progression in the artist’s musical career. From his selfproduced 2015 debut album, “Bcos U Will Never B Free,” to the acclaimed 2017 “Apricot Princess,” O’Connor employs the same angsty alternative sound that was present in his first two albums, further incorporating a medley of bedroom-style

On Feb. 14, Rex Orange County danced and sang with a crowd of 20-somethings at the House of Blues.